Dynamics of the Ocean Floor

Planned expeditions

R/V Pourquois Pas?

Cruise:- Project:ODEMAR

Chief Scientist: Dr. Javier Escartin / GEOMAR: Dr. Sven Petersen

Duration: 17.11.2013-22.12.2013 Ports: Cap Verde - Cap Verde

Programme: Structure, formation and evolution of oceanic detachment faults and their connection to the formation of oceanic lithosphere. High-resolution mapping of detachments and associated hydrothermal fields in the Central Atlantic Ocean (13°N) using the autonomous underwater vehicle AUV ABYSS.

Programme: R/V SONNE cruise SO-232 is part of the cooperative project SLIP between GEOMAR and the Alfred Wegener Institute Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research (AWI). The SO-232 cruise focuses on reflexion seismic profiling and hard rock sampling at the Mozambique Ridge in the Southwest Indic. SLIP will contribute to a better understanding of the evolution of the Mozambique Ridge and the accompanying volcanism during the opening of the southern ocean as well as the connection between volcanic-tectonic activities of the ridge and the modifications in the ocean current systems.

R/V Sonne

Cruise: SO-233 Project: WALVIS II

Chief Scientist: Prof. Kaj Hoernle

Duration: 14.05.2014 - 21.06.2014

Ports: Cape Town (South Africa) - Walvis Bay (Namibia)

Programme: R/V SONNE-cruise SO-233 focuses on systematic sampling of the magmatic basement of the c. 1.500 km long eastern part of the Walvis Ridge in the Southeast Atlantic. The WALVIS II project continues and broadens our previous studies of the Walvis Ridge and aims (1) to test for age progressive volcanism along the ridge, (2) to differentiate between classical hotspot and plate fracturing models for its formation, and (3) to constrain the origin and temporal and spatial evolution of melting conditions and source compositions (in particular for the EM-I endmember and for zonation of mantle plumes). Accompanying to the basement sampling, biological sampling will be conducted by the Museum für Naturkunde Berlin to better constrain the biodiversity of the Southeast Atlantic.

R/V Sonne

Cruise: SO-234/1 Project: SPACES

Chief Scientist: Dr. Reinhard Werner

Duration: 22.06.2014 - 06.07.2014

Ports: Walvis Bay (Namibia) - Durban (South Africa)

Programme: R/V SONNE cruise SO-234/1 continues the studies of the temporal and geochemical evolution of the Walvis Ridge conducted on SO-233 (see above) and is broadened by biological studies of deep sea fish. The biological work will be carried out by the University of Tübingen and aims to get a better knowledge of adaptations of visual systems in mesopelagic animals to bioluminescence. SO-234/1 is a training and capacity building cruise for students from southern Africa and Germany in the framework of the SPACES programme (Science for the Assessment of Complex Earth System Processes), a cooperative research project initiated by the relevant ministries in Namibia, South Africa, Angola and Germany.